Bonded by Brotherhood and a Kidney Transplant at Miami Transplant Institute

By: Ruelle Champion

Life changed fast for brothers Emilio and Mauricio Barbosa Martinez after Hurricane Maria in 2017. The pair left to Miami from their home in Puerto Rico with their mom, Tere Martinez Alvarez, intending to stock up on prescriptions and visit their nephrologist.

Emilio, now 24, and Mauricio, 19, both have Alport syndrome, a genetic disease that slowly damages the kidneys. A few weeks after Hurricane Maria, the family learned they wouldn’t be heading back to Puerto Rico. Emilio had to stay in Miami to start dialysis immediately.

“His decline was a shock to the family,” said Jayanthi Chandar, MD, medical director of the pediatric kidney transplant program at Miami Transplant Institute (MTI). “Emilio progressed to end-stage kidney disease and he needed to be on dialysis for some time.”

Under the guidance of Dr. Chandar and the team, Emilio was listed for a kidney transplant. A generous friend was a match—giving Emilio a kidney from a living donor.

“When I heard I was getting a kidney, I was nervous,” Emilio said. “I was still a little kid back then, I was scared but everything turned out very good.”

He went into surgery on July 19, 2018 and recovered in enough time to return to Puerto Rico, where he finished his senior year of high school.

“As tough as this journey is, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.

The light at the end for Emilio was the chance to start his freshman year of college far away from home. He was accepted to Bryant University in Rhode Island—then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“At a time when many questioned whether it was the right decision to send Emilio to college, Dr. Chandar supported me through our options with confidence and care,” said Tere.

It was halfway through the semester once the spread of COVID-19 was controlled when Dr. Chandar gave Tere the call to pack Emilio’s bags and send him off. The team reassured Tere on every virtual follow-up appointment for Emilio’s post-transplant care plan.

“Holding my patient’s hands is a very important part of my job, it is so fulfilling to see that they are able to accomplish their goals in life,” said Dr. Chandar.

Tere relived the family’s first kidney transplant experience only a few years later with Mauricio. In 2024, the then 17-year-old’s kidney function declined and he was placed on dialysis. He was then listed for a transplant.

Mauricio’s life became a juggling act between his senior year of high school in Puerto Rico and traveling to medical appointments in Miami.

“I had a big role model that already went through it,” he said about his brother. “I traced his footsteps, and knew that at the end of the day I was going to be okay.”

After months of dialysis, Mauricio got the life-changing call. His immediate feeling was bitter-sweet.

“I felt happy for myself, but I was very sad because another family was suffering,” he said.

Mauricio had his transplant on January 24, 2025. Just like his brother, he was able to return to Puerto Rico to finish out high school.

“That’s an important year,” Mauricio said of his senior year. “When I was struggling, family support meant so much. My mom traveled back and forth so I could still go to school.”

Mauricio has since started college at Nova Southeastern University to stay close to his care team. The donor family’s generosity still sticks with him, inspiring him to sign up to be an organ donor himself.

“I feel grateful that the family decided to donate their loved one’s organs because thanks to them, I have a new chance at life,” Mauricio added.

Since Emilio’s transplant surgery in 2018, he got his bachelor’s degree from Bryant University and is finishing his master’s program.

“When you’re given a second opportunity in life, you learn how to value things more,” he said. “This transplant helped me find my passion, which is coaching. I love teaching basketball.”

Today, both brothers are bonded by an experience that most won’t understand. They credit their strength to their mother and the pediatric kidney transplant team at MTI.

“She was more than a doctor,” Mauricio said. “Dr. Chandar and the entire team gave me confidence.”

“You can’t give up because you got a setback,” Emilio added. “You have to keep going. This whole process taught us to value life and be grateful.”